Gary James Danuser, 76, slipped away from us quietly at Village Health Care in Missoula, MT on October 27, 2020 after a short but valiant battle with Covid-19. Gary was born the only child of James C. and Fern Olive (Pedersen) Danuser in Valley City, ND on September 21, 1944. He contracted polio as a youth, posing as the poster child for the Polio Foundation at around 5 years old.
As he was growing up, his parents divorced and each remarried which meant time split between his mother in Alaska and his father in North Dakota, then later Montana.
In February 1962 he married his high school sweetheart, Delores Stemple. Soon after their marriage, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he worked in aircraft maintenance in Charleston, SC. With Delores, he was the proud father of a son Mark Philip and a daughter Kimberly Lynn. After his enlistment, he returned to Missoula in 1966.
In 1969 tragedy struck and Delores passed away. Gary remarried July 21, 1970 to Janet Nell Christensen. This union blessed him with another daughter, Julie Christine. Janet and Gary spent over 20 years together before divorcing in 1991. Gary married again to Dixie Reynolds Aldrich in 1992.
Gary's gift of gab, honesty and loyalty lended well to his career choice of sales. He worked for Wonder Bread for 25 years before transferring to Eddy's Bread for 6 years. He also sold and installed tires for Bakke Tire Co. and later running the mail transport to Great Falls.
He spent family vacations at area lakes, camping in Canada or enjoying get-togethers in the backyard for summer barbecues.
He is survived by his daughters Kimberly Danuser Lindquist (Michael), Corvallis and Julie Christine Danuser, Lolo; two grandsons Zachary Davis (Donna), Clinton and Hunter Davis (Sarah), Lolo: and one great grand daughter Robin Christine Davis, Clinton.
He was preceeded in death by his parents and step parents James and Dorothy Danuser and Fern and Don Dahl: wives Delores and Dixie; and son, Mark. Services are under the care of Garden City Funeral Home.